Reston Association Still Looking for Land Swap Answers

Reston Association representatives said they must meet with Fairfax County before it will know whether RA gets back its acre of land at Lake Anne Plaza.

As part of the deal to redevelop Crescent Apartments and the area surrounding Lake Anne Plaza, RA’s board approved a land swap in late 2013.

On Friday, Lake Anne Development Partners said it was withdrawing from the large-scale redevelopment plan that would have brought more than 1,000 residences; a high-rise tower to complement Heron House; and more than 100,000 square feet of office and retail space. LADP reps said the plan was not economically feasible.

Lake Anne Development Partners was picked by the county to redevelop Crescent’s 16 acres and the surrounding area in 2013. The developer said it needed the one-acre plot to build a 120-space parking garage. The land is located near the current parking lot and “The J” retail part of Lake Anne Plaza.

In return, RA would get a similar sized piece of land off of Baron Cameron Avenue.

At the time, the swap was controversial. Opponents were concerned about the loss of mature trees and that the Baron Cameron land was less valuable and full of litter.

Lake Anne Development Partners offered RA about $500,000 in general facility improvements as part of developer contributions. It also offered $100,000 in tree care as part of the land swap agreement, which RA passed 6-2 (with one director abstaining).

RA said in a statement Monday it must now pursue discussions with county representatives to determine the status of the Final Development and Disposition Agreement between the county and LADP and whether the county will soon seek a replacement redevelopment partner.

“The status of the Real Property Exchange Agreement between RA and LADP cannot be determined until these discussions are held with the county,” said RA.

In general, though, Ra supports Lake Anne redevelopment.

RA Board President Ellen Graves said in the statement the association is “both surprised and disappointed” about LADP working to withdraw from the contract.

“RA supports the revitalization of Lake Anne Village Center, as contemplated in the zoning and development entitlements, which were approved earlier this year by the county and the association’s Design Review Board,” said Graves.

Thank you sir. Hopefully one day you can admire a plate of wings and a cold beer from the comfort of Hooters of Reston.

#HootersForReston

Guest

No developer will bite on the current development plan. It would be just as toxic for them as it was for LADP. A more modest proposal is necessary, especially one that would allow the return of the acre of mature trees to RA. RA should gladly give back the stormwater drainage area, but who knows????

Newscomer2

Of course the land should revert to the community. It was a questionable deal . The land was swapped as interim parking for the merchants on the Plaza while the developer who has been forced to withdraw was building a parking garage on the condo associations commercial lot. That construction plan is at least for now dead.
Next time maybe Reston homeowners will get fair compensation for a valuable wooded area of common ground–either in cash or an equivalent piece of land which is not a useless drainage ditch bordering on a major highway…

Spotter

As far as I’m concerned, I think whoever that guy is living in the tent on that spot of lane behind Lake Anne Market should own it. The way his trash is all over the place, you’d think he thinks he does.

Lakedweller

Now the man in the tent can go back and live in the Crescent. The “southside creep” is underway. Lake Anne signage overgrown, Wiehle Ave sidewalks in disrepair, North Shore drive falling apart- all while the shiny RTC blossoms.
I hope someone will dust off that plan, eliminate the low income housing drag, and go upscale all the way- its time!

Greg

Yet more money the RA will waste sorting out what the RA already wasted on this mind fork. One would think the RA, with Chadwick Washington steering the helm, would know what it did.